An illegal eviction is when a landlord tries to force out the tenant living
in their apartment in ways other than going to court and doing it the proper
way.
Can my landlord change the locks on the doors when I am at work?
No, at no time can a landlord change the locks even if you were 6 months behind
in the rent. They are not allowed to lock you out. But in some states a landlord
can change the locks but they have to give you notice and in most cases they
have to give you a key.
Can my landlord cut off my electric if the electric is in their name?
You may be surprised at this answer but in some states like Texas the answer
is yes. Only if the bills are in their names but with states like New York the
answer is no. A landlord cannot alter the lifestyle of the tenants no matter
what the reason is.
Can my landlord put my things on the street?
No, this would constitute and illegal eviction. In the case of an illegal eviction,
you may live in a state where if a judge finds that the landlord did in fact
execute an illegal eviction the judge can award the tenant up to three times
the amount of the security deposit.
My landlord threatened he would not pay his electric to force me out,
can he do that ?
No, it would still be considered an illegal eviction.
There are legal ways in order to get someone to leave an apartment. That is
why laws exist. The way the law works is you have to issue the tenant a 30 day
notice and in that time they can either leave or you have to take them to court
which in case the judge most likely will give them another two weeks and after
that if they still don't leave you have to contact your local's
Sheriff's Department which would take about 2 more weeks in addition to
a couple of hundred dollars.
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